Shell Scripts in Waiting: the Waitmax Tool
Linux consultant Matthias Kettner has just released Version 1.0 of his Waitmax Software. It gives programs a specified time to complete after terminating them.
Waitmax is designed for use in shell scripts. The tool launches another program in a new process and then waits for a configurable period. If the process has not completed by then, Waitmax sends a "TERM" signal to it. The "-s" command line parameter gives users the ability to send other signals.
In the provides a practical example. The following command uses scp to copy a large file. If the process takes longer than an hour, it is killed:
waitmax 3600 scp bigfile.tar.gz somehost:/tmpWaitmax is released under the GPLv2 and can be downloaded from the author’ homepage here. Both the source code and a statically linked RPM package are available.
Issue 245/2021
Buy this issue as a PDF
News
-
Mageia 8 is Now Available with Linux 5.10 LTS
The latest release of Mageia includes improved graphics support for both AMD and NVIDIA GPUs.
-
GNOME 40 Beta has been Released
Anyone looking to test the beta for the upcoming GNOME 40 release can now do so.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 4.2 has Arrived
The latest stable version of OpenMandriva has been released and offers the newest KDE desktop and ARM support.
-
Thunderbird 78 is being ported to Ubuntu 20.04
The Ubuntu developers have made the decision to port the latest release of Thunderbird to the LTS version of the platform.
-
Elementary OS is Bringing Multi-Touch Gestures to the OS
User-friendly Linux distribution, elementary OS, is working to make using the fan-favorite platform even better for laptops.
-
Decade-Old Sudo Flaw Discovered
A vulnerability has been discovered in the Linux sudo command that’s been hiding in plain sight.
-
Another New Linux Laptop has Arrived
Slimbook has released a monster of a Linux gaming laptop.
-
Mozilla VPN Now Available for Linux
The promised subscription-based VPN service from Mozilla is now available for the Linux platform.
-
Wayland and New App Menu Coming to KDE
The 2021 roadmap for the KDE desktop environment includes some exciting features and improvements.
-
Deepin 20.1 has Arrived
Debian-based Deepin 20.1 has been released with some interesting new features.